Automatic mail-crane.



E. R. LANE.

AUTOMATIC MAIL CRANE.

.APPLIGATION FILED DEO.18, 1912.

1 075,921. Patented Oct. 14, 1913. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q A Q 1| I E a S LL} A TTORNEYS.

COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH CD'IWASHINGTDN. n. c.

E. R. LANE.

AUTOMATIC MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1912.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR By vgm/ A 'TTORNEYS ERNEST R. LANE, OF AMARILLA, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. Ml, 11913.

Application filed. December 18, 1812. Serial No. 737,?35.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST R. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amarilla, in the county of Potter and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Automatic Mail-Crane, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic mail crane of simple, durable and inexpensive construction whereby a mail sack is held in position spaced apart from passing cars at a safe distance and provided with mechanism whereby the sack can be moved to position close to the line traveled by the mail car when the clerk on said car desires to take up the sack.

A. further object is to provide such a crane provided with simple mechanism by which the sack may be released when grasped by a hook on the mail car, without injury to any of the mechanism or to the mail sack.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a mail car equipped with the necessary apparatus for my improved crane, said figure showing also a side elevation of an automatic mail crane embodying my invention.' Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of my improved mail crane taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation ofthe mail crane with the sack in its lower position. Fig. 4 shows a detail view of one of the clamps whereby the sack is secured to the crane. Fig. 5 shows a detail view of said clamp taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 4.

In the accompanying drawings 1' have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the rail of a railroad track upon which travels a mail car 11. Standing adjacent to the track 10 but spaced apart therefrom a distance of several feet is a post 12 of my automatic mail crane. The upper portion of said post is preferably made of two parallel vertical members 13. Pivoted between the tops of the members 13 is an arm 14 designed to swing in a vertical plane at right angles to the mail car 11. One portion of the arm 14 extends inwardly toward the track and another portion extends outwardly and is provided at its end with a weight 15 heavy enough to raise any mail sack.

Pivotally mounted between the arms 13 below the top thereof is an arm 16 designed to swing in the same vertical plane as the arm 14. The arm 16 is designed to move from position extending inwardly and downwardly toward the track as shown by the lower dotted lines in Fig. 2 to substantially horizontal position as shown by the upper dotted lines in Fig. 2. For limiting theupward movement of thearm 16 l have provided a rubber bumper 17' just above the pivotal point of the arm 16 and spaced apart from the same on the side toward the track.

For securing a mail sack to the inner ends of the arms 14: and 16 I have provided the following means: Secured to the lower side of the inner end of the arm 1a and to the upper side of the inner end of the arm 16 are suitable devices 18 for loops 19. Secured to each end of the mail sack 20 is a ring or loop 21. Secured to the loops 19 are catch devices composed preferably of a single piece of stout resilient wire which is twisted at one end around the loop 19 and is then extended away from the loops 19 and back to the loops 19 and twisted around the same again forming a portion 22 which viewed from the end elevation is U shaped as shown in Fig. 4 and viewed from the side is curved on the arc of a circle as shown in Fig. 5. One end of the portion 22 after being twisted around the loop 19 is extended away from the same forming a curved por tion 2 1 opposite the middle of the portion 22-with the free end of the portion 2% extending between the sides of the portion 22 as shown in Fig. 5. The sack is secured to the clamping devices by pulling the members 24 and 22 apart inserting the ring 21. between them and'allowing them to spring back in position.

The sack designed for use with my im proved automatic mail crane is preferably made with a contracted central portion 25 as shown in Fig. 2 in order that the sack may be conveniently seized by the grab hook hereinafter described. Spaced apart from the post 12 on each side thereof along the track is a post 26 having pivoted thereon an arm 27. Formed on the arm 27 isan extension 28 which extends inwardly toward the track and is provided at its inner end with an extension 29 parallel with the arm 2'7.

In the members 13 below the pivotal point of the arm 16 and between said pivotal point and the r ck are openings in which is re ceived a pivotal pin 30. When the arm 16 is moved to the lower position of its movement, the pin 30 can be inserted in its proper position and'will then prevent the upward movement of the arm 16. When a mail sack QOis secured to the inner ends of the arm 1d and 16, the inner ends of said arms are tipped downwardly as shown in Fig. 2 and the pin 80 is placed in position thereby holding the sack in its lower position close to the post 12 and counteracting the weight 15.

Connecting the pin 30 and the lower end of the arm 27 which extends below the pivotal point thereof on the post 26 is a suitable rod or rope or other connecting means 34:. The arm 27 and the extensions 28 and 29 are so arranged that when the pin 30 is in position in the members 13, the extension 29 is in suitable position to be struck by a rod 36 extending laterally from an approaching mail car thereby withdrawing the pin 30 and permitting the sack 20 to be drawn upwardly and inwardly toward the track by means of the weight 15 on the arm 14:. The sack will then be held in position close to the passing mail car which car is designed to be equipped with a suitable grab hook 37 adjustably mounted adjacent to the door 38.

In the practical operation of my improved automatic mail crane, when the device is not in use, the weight 15 holds the arm 14 in the position shown by the dotted line A in Fig. 2, and the arm 16 is dropped to the position shown by the dotted lines Bot said figure. When a sack is fastened to the arms by means of the clamp hereinbetore described, the arms are drawn downwardly as shown by the full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and are held in their lowered position by means of he pin 30 which is inserted by the members 18. The arm 36 on the approaching car which is hinged to swing from position parallel to the side of the car to position extending laterally therefrom and is de signed to swing in a horizontal plane strikes the extension 29 thereby releasing the pin 30 and allowing the sack 20 to swing to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The sack is then seized by the grab hook 37 and the arms 15 and 16 drop to their inoperative position where they are far enough removed from the track to be out of the way of any ordinary projections of passing trains.

The advantages of my improved automatic mail crane may be seen from the foregoing description. All of the parts are far enough away from the track to be free from the danger of being struck by parts of cars or by anything projecting from the cars. The same statement may be made of the arms let and 16 and the mail sack when the latter is secured to said arms and the pin 30 is secured in position. The arms 14 and 16 are released only by cars equipped with the projecting arm 86 and when released, the sack 20 is swung to position adjacent to the car where it may be easily removed from the arms 14 and 16 by the hook on the mail car. The construction of the clamps is such that the sack is readily removed from them without injury to the sack or the clamps.

My improved automatic mail crane may be made of any suitable material and it will readily be seen that a large number of changes may be made in the details of its construction without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a post designed to stand near a railroad track, parallel arms pivoted to said post at suitable heights thereon, an extension on the upper one of said arms on the side away from the track, a weight on said extension, means for limiting the upward movement of the lower one of said arms, and also removable means for preventing the upward movement of the lower one of said arms.

2. In a device of the class described, a post designed to stand near a railroad track, parallel arms pivoted to said post at suitable heights thereon, an extension on the upper one of said arms on the side away from the track, a weight on said arm, removable means for preventing the upward movement of the lower one of said arms, yielding clamp members secured to the inner ends of said upper and lower arms "for mounting mail sacks thereon, and means designed to be operated by an arm on a passing car for removing said removable means.

3. In a device of the class described, a post designed to stand near a railroad track, parallel arms pivoted to said post at suitable heights thereon, an extension on the upper one of said arms on the side away from the track, a weight on said arm, removable means for preventing the upward movement of the lower one of said arms, yielding clamp m mbers secured to the inner ends of said upper and lower arms for mounting mail sacks thereon, means designed to be operated by an arm on a passing car for removing said removable means, said means comprising a post, an arm pivoted thereon, an extension on said arm designed to stand in the way of an outwardly extending arm on a mail car, another extension on said pivoted arm, and means for connecting said last named extension with said movable means.

l. In a device of the class described, a

post designed to stand near a railroad track, parallel arms pivoted to said post at suitable heights thereon, an extension on the upper one of said arms on the side aWay from the track, a Weight on said arm, removable means for preventing the upward movement of the lower one of said arms, yielding clamp members secured to the inner ends of said upper and lower arms for mounting mail sacks thereon, means designed to be operated by an arm on a passing car for removing said removable means, said means comprising a post, an arm pivoted thereon,

an extension on said arm designed to stand in the Way of an outwardly extending arm on a mail oar, another extension on said pivoted arm, means for connecting said last named extension With said movable means, and a mail sack, means on each end thereof for securing said sack to said clamping de- 20 vices.

Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 20, 1912.

ERNEST R. LANE. Witnesses:

JEROME G. l-IEITZMAN, J. M. O. HAMILTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

